Today, around the world, people marched for SCIENCE–science, facts, truth, climate change, the environment–yes, that just happened. Why? Because we live in a political time where logic and facts do not always enter into the equation. Some argue that science is not political and should not be political–but–IT IS!
Our leaders should believe in facts and science. Our leaders should protect the environment in which we live and work to improve upon it for our children and generations to come. Passing legislation to dismantle the EPA or eliminate regulations that help to protect the environment so that big businesses and the coal industry can profit is unconscionable.
Leaders have a social responsibility and unfortunately for us, we have a leader who is anti-facts, anti-science, and anti-human decency–he is incapable of doing the “right” thing.
I marched today in Princeton, New Jersey with my family and about 2000 new friends but what I am most in awe of, is how many sister marches took place around the globe–EVERYWHERE. This is truly unprecedented.
“While scientists and their allies have argued about and even occasionally protested on specific political topics over the years, taking to the streets in a sweeping defense of scientific truth itself and its role in policymaking seems considerably broader and, for the research world, more fundamental (1).”
I believe that taking to the streets to march is seen as a last resort for many in the field of science–but alas, it has come to that. #Resist
More March Signs
There were lots of wonderful signs and people; here are just a few.
1 Historians say the March for Science is ‘pretty unprecedented’, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/22/historians-say-the-march-for-science-is-pretty-unprecedented/?utm_term=.bae5be1d4a41
Last night on Saturday Night Live, Lewis CK performed the following skit, called, “Thank you, Scott.”
The skit hit close to home for many liberals today, myself included. After the election, an election where the majority of Americans did NOT vote for Trump, many liberals were left dumbfounded. How did Trump get elected? Was it the “forgotten” men and women in rural central America that elected him and why did they feel “forgotten”? Was the Democratic party out of touch with America? Was social liberalism declining in the face of nationalism? —–Nope, not really. Those things may have been variables, but they were not reason enough for an electoral win. I believe the real reason Hillary lost is that liberals became complacent. We had a lovely 8 years with a President who was educated, intelligent, who understood social service and foreign policy and we thought the 8 years with Bush were long behind us. We never thought it possible that a schmuck like Trump could be elected…and then the unthinkable happened.
We had grown complacent. I mean after all, we had seen the acceptance of gay marriage, “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell” was repealed, affordable healthcare for all, economic growth at an all time high and unemployment at an all time low (especially significant post Bush administration), Osama bin laden was killed, Sonya Sotomayer was confirmed to the Supreme Court and countless other accomplishments. All of these accomplished without the assistance and support of the Republican Congress, who bad-mouthed and fought Obama tooth and nail. For many of us liberals, the hatred towards Obama felt racist which only further divided us from our right-leaning friends. We lived through an era where SCIENCE WAS REAL, facts mattered, black lives mattered, police mattered, climate mattered—-so this, this $hit show we now find ourselves in was unimaginable and most of us would gladly welcome Bush back into office. Well, if it meant we could get rid of Trump.
The majority of Americans, including Trump, thought his Presidential bid would never amount to a win. Everyday on the campaign trail as Trump displayed his severe character flaws for all the world to see, we became more secure with the idea that this buffoon could never be elected. A pussy grabbing, misogynistic, racist, incompetent businessman, adulterer, and narcissistic liar could never be President. We were firm in our belief that no one was dumb enough to vote for this shyster.
—Boy were we, was I, wrong. I actually had champagne chilling election night. I went to work that day early to vote. I left my house high on emotions, wearing my pantsuit, screaming, “I am off to vote for the FIRST female President” to my family as I headed out the door. I was excited and could not wait to watch the results. That night I must have asked my husband a hundred times as we started watching the results roll in, “There is no way, right, no way he can win.” As the night wore on, it became obvious that many Americans did not feel the same way I did. I went to bed early, champagne undrunk, only to wake at 2:30 am to check my phone. I remember waking my husband saying, “She conceded, she conceded; it is over.” He moaned and cried out in frustration and then rolled over and went to sleep. I did not sleep.
I know my conservative “friends” joke about us snowflakes crying about how Trump won, but I am not ashamed to admit it. I cried, I sobbed. I honestly don’t know how I made it through work the next day. I just wanted to go home and drink that champagne and get bloto. I am in the service industry, I am a nurse and my career is based on helping and supporting others, but my actions felt superficial, mundane and surreal that day. I found solace on Pantsuit Nation on Facebook. I had only found that group a few days before the election and I wish I had found it sooner. The day of election the posts from Americans going off to vote with their children, mothers, grandmothers, families—-made me “happy cry”. I was moved to tears by the thought of our older generation being able to vote for the first female President. I kept thinking about how much this must have meant to them. The photos and posts were my therapy after the election. Living in a Republican strong-hold in Monmouth County, NJ, I felt like I had no one to talk to, other than my husband. My husband is a banker and identified as a soft Republican when I met him but twenty years together has changed this man. His perspectives have changed. He always jokes that I would have divorced him if he voted for George W. Bush but thankfully we never had to test his theory out. As his views broadened, his empathy and willingness to fight for others grew. The narrow paradigm he grew up in changed; we changed together. He switched his affiliation from Independent to Democrat to vote in the 2008 Democratic Primary, as did I. I was always registered as an Independent prior to 2008, even though my policies and beliefs lean far left, as a young adult and even now, I believed I would always vote for the best, most qualified applicant. I guess in this election I was hoping others felt that way too regardless of their political affiliation but alas the most qualified, experienced candidate did not win.
After the election, I got more vocal. I realized in my own complacency that I had not stood up for Hillary. Sure, I voted for her but I did not scream it from the roof top. I did not talk about why I supported her or why I thought she was the better candidate? I did not want to discuss with the crazy person or my father (love ya, Dad, but not your politics) that Hillary did nothing illegal and we did not have to worry about “locking her up”? I did not want to confront my ignorant friend who believes climate change is a hoax, or that person I went to high school with that posted offensive memes that included things like, “Trump that Bitch” or rants that made no logical sense? I did not want to debate anyone and in the same sense, I did not want to offend anyone. I kept quite about my politics. When did talking politics become rude?
It was not like after the election, “the gloves came off” and I was willing to bring everyone to the mats. I would like to believe the awakening was more organic and less retaliatory. I knew that becoming vocal was not going to change the outcome of the election, but I was not willing to stay silent anymore. Silence is why I think Trump was elected, silence and complacency.
After the election I warned my Facebook friends that I was going to speak my mind, I would call out injustices, I would share stories I felt relevant, I would call out Trump on his bad behavior but I also protested, marched in DC and started making phone calls and sending postcards to my congressional representatives and Trump. I got active but as I hold the mirror up to myself, as Lewis CK suggested in his skit, I could do more—and I will continue to #RESIST.
There are many reasons why I never believed Trump could be elected President and his treatment of women was one of them. As a 46 year old woman, I never believed in this day and age that a man of this caliber would be anything other than castigated for behavior like this; instead, the public elected him President. Disheartening to say the least. For me, marching in protest in DC on January 21st was something I could not miss. I remember telling my husband I signed up to go to the March with a bunch of women that I did not know. I had found the group on Facebook and they were organizing buses from a nearby town. He was worried about potential violence and the fact that I did not know anyone I was going with. I told him that this was something I had to do and I was going no matter what. I was not worried or afraid. I was determined and fired up.
My husband is a great and kind man and is very supportive. He would have marched with me but our 3 boys had activities, sports and rides to college that needed to take place that day. He did it all so I could march in protest.
I don’t understand the women who support Trump. Did they grow up hearing “locker room” talk. Is this behavior acceptable to them? Is it acceptable for their children? Everyone talks about their daughters but as a mother of 3 boys, identifying this behavior as unacceptable is just as important. I am raising my men to be Feminists. I want them to treat and respect women as their equals. They are not superior and this misogynist behavior will not be tolerated–at least by those who did not vote for Trump..
Here is a clip highlighting the severe character flaws of our President elect.
I marched with millions of my #RESISTERS that day (and a few friends from my super Republican town). For me, the march continues until Trump and his cronies are out of office.
After the election I warned my Facebook friends that I was going to speak my mind, I would call out injustices, I would share stories I felt relevant, I would call out Trump on his bad behavior but I also protested, marched in DC and started making phone calls and sending postcards to my congressional representatives and Trump. I got active but as I hold the mirror up to myself, as Lewis CK suggested in his skit, I could do more—and I will continue to #RESIST.
